Red velvet cupcakes
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups cake flour (sub plain / all purpose flour, Note 1)
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder, unsweetened (Note 2)
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder (not baking soda, Note 3)
- Pinch of salt
Wet Ingredients
- 60g / 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (Note 4)
- 2/3 cup caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature (Note 5)
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil (or canola)
- 1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature (Note 6)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp white vinegar (Note 7)
- 1 tbsp red food colouring (yes, 1 whole tablespoon!)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened (Note 4)
- 170g / 6oz Philadelphia block cream cheese, softened (Note 8)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 2 1/2 cups soft icing sugar mixture (powdered sugar), sifted (Note 9)
Instructions
- 1
Cupcakes - Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan). Line a standard 12 hole muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- 2
Cupcakes - Sift Dry ingredients together into a bowl.
- 3
Cupcakes - Cream butter: Put the butter in a separate bowl and beat on speed 2 for 1 minute with an electric mixer or stand mixer (paddle attachment).
- 4
Cupcakes - Cream sugar: Add sugar then beat for a further 2 minutes, same speed, until the butter is very pale yellow, almost white.
- 5
Cupcakes - Beat in eggs: Add the eggs one at a time beating for 30 seconds on speed 1 after each addition.
- 6
Cupcakes - Add remaining Wet ingredients: Add oil, buttermilk, vanilla and red food colouring then beat on Speed 1 until incorporated and the batter is smooth.
- 7
Cupcakes - Beat in flour: Sprinkle the Dry ingredients across the surface and mix on Speed 1 for just 20 seconds. Scrape down sides of the bowl, then mix again for 10 seconds. The batter should now be smooth – few small lumps is ok. Do not keep beating – overworks batter = cupcakes not as soft!
- 8
Cupcakes - Fill pan: Divide the batter between the 12 cupcake liners – it should fill 3/4 of the way, but it depends on the size of the cupcake liners you use.
- 9
Cupcakes - Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the middle cupcake comes out clean.
- 10
Cupcakes - Cool: Immediately remove cupcakes onto a wire rack. Cool completely before frosting with cream cheese frosting.
- 11
Frosting - Cream butter: Place butter in a bowl and beat for 1 minute until it's smooth and starts to become paler in colour – speed 6 on stand mixer, speed 9 for electric beater.
- 12
Frosting - Cream cream cheese: Add cream cheese then beat for a further 1 minute on the same speed until smooth.
- 13
Frosting - Add icing sugar: Add icing sugar in 4 batches, beating in between until incorporated, starting on speed 1 so you don't get a dust storm in your face!
- 14
Frosting - Beat until fluffy: Add vanilla and salt, then beat for 2 minutes until fluffy – speed 6 with stand mixer, speed 9 with electric beater. It should be creamy but still hold its shape in a peak (see video). If it's too sloppy, place in fridge for 30 minutes, then beat again.
- 15
Frosting - Pipe: Transfer into piping bag with desired piping tip. Pipe onto cupcakes – makes enough to generously frost 12 cupcakes as pictured in post.
